Brake for vehicles.



No. 659,665. Pafented Oct. l6, I900.

C. R. GREUTER.

BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

(Applicationflled Feb. 15, 1900.)

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CHARLES R. GREUTER, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE IIOLYOKE AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,665, dated October 16, 1900.

Application filed February 15, 1900. Serial No. 5,859. (No model.)

To (ti/Z whom it may concern: otherwise made fast to the strap or band G Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. GREUTER, at the point of its attachment to the rod I a citizen of the United States, residing at and said rod passing through said clip or Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State bracket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The con- 5 of Massachusetts, have invented certain new nection between the arm J and the strap or and useful Improvementsin Brakes for Vehiband G is a loose or sliding connection cles, of which the following is a specification. formed by a loop I), riveted to the band G and My present invention has reference to passing loosely about the free end of the arm brakes for vehicles, and is designed more par- J, so that as the arm and the band rise and 1o ticularly for use in connection with that class fall there may be a limited independent vofroad-vehicles commonlydesignatedasaumovement. The two ends of the band or tomobiles. strap G are carried forward of the wheel F,

By the term automobile is here meant which in the present showing is supposed to a passenger-vehicle or a road-wagon for genrotate in the direction of the arrow and are I5 eral use, designed for ordinary roadways and attached, respectively, to the lower end and containing its own motor or means of propulto a point slightly above the lower end of a sion; but the brake may be used in other relever L, which is preferably made in the form lations, if desired. Being specially designed of an elbow-lever, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

for the class of vehicles noted, it is repre- The upper end of the strap or band Gcon- 7o 20 sentedin connection with an automobile such stitutes a support for the lever L, which is as I am now constructing for the trade. pin-jointed or otherwise pivotally connected In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevato the ends of said strap or band. This may tion of such a vehicle partially broken away conveniently be done by bifurcating the lower to show my improved brake mechanism; Fig. end of the lever, forming the strap or band 25 2, adetached view of the brake mechanism G with an eye at each end, and passing and the wheel to which it is applied, the latthrough the eyes and through holes in the ter being partially in section; and Fig. 3 a lever J pivot pins or bolts c'and d, as inditransverse sectional view of said wheel. cated in Figs. 1 and 2. Under this construc- A in said drawings indicates the body of tion the natural resilience of the band or 30 the vehicle, provided with axles B and C, constrap G and its tendency to straighten out nected by a perch or frame D, upon which latwill cause the upper end thereof torise out ter is mounted the engine or motorE. As here of contact with the upper side of wheel F,

represented, the motor is supported wholly being assisted so to do and to overcome and independent of the body A of the vehicle, sustain the weight of the lever L and of an 35 which latter is carried by springs mounted actuating or connecting rod attached thereto directly upon the axles; but the mounting by the spring-arm J or, if need be, by a spiof the engine and the body are matters not inral spring e. (Indicated in Fig. 2.)

volved in thepresentcaseand need not, there- From the clip a downward the band or fore, be more fully described herein. strap tends to spring away from the cir- 9o 40 The motor is provided with a comparacumference of wheelF and by drawing down tively large and heavy fly-wheel F, as is the lower extremity of lever L to throw backusual in engines or motors of this class, and ward its upper end to the position indicated it is to this wheel that the brake is preferin Fig. 1. In this way the brake is normally ably applied. held off and the band or strap G is kept out 5 The brake consists, essentially, of a strap of contact with the wheel F, leaving the same or band G, which may be of mild steel, phosfree to rotate without retardation and with-' phor-bronze, or other suitable metal or alout wearing the strap or band.

10y, suspended from a bar or bracket H, pro- M indicates a treadle or foot-lever pivoted jecting from the engine frame or shell by a to a sill or timber of the vehicle and having [00 5o rod I and an elastic or yielding arm J, a its free end extended upward toaconvenient spring clip or bracket to being riveted or position to be reached by the foot of the steersinan or an occupant of the vehicle. Thislever M is connected by a rod N with the upper or free end of the lever L, so that when the treadle or foot-lever M is pushed forward or downward it shall through the rod N draw forward the upper end of the lever L, rocking said lever upon its pivot-pin c and raising the pivot-pin d, and consequently tightening the band or strap G about the Wheel F.

It will be seen that a comparatively-slight movement of the lever in one or the other direction serves to apply or to withdraw the brake, that being supported primarily from a bracket H projecting from the frame or shell of the engine there is no change in the relative position of the brake and the wheel to be clamped by reason of any movement of the engine or of the body of the vehicle, and that the supports for the brake are light and simple, though by reason of their arrangement they are adequate to the support of the brake.

As shown in the several figures, the wheel F is circumferentially channeled or grooved to receive the band or strap G and prevent its lateral displacement. This is deemed an advisable precaution, though it is not essential.

I am of course aware that strap or band brakes are old and that theyhave been made in a variety of forms; but the construction herein set forth is specially designed and is particularly adapted for use in connection with vehicles of the class set forth.

It will of course be understood that the wheel F may be any wheel or hub and that the fly-wheel of the engine is here taken merely for purposes of illustration or as a type.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim is l 1. In combination with a wheel or hub, and the frame in or by which it is supported; a bracket or support also carried by said frame; a flexible strap or band suspended from said support and passing about said wheel or hub; and a lever having said strap or band pivotally connected with it at different points in its length and supported'by said band, whereby the strap or band is made to serve both as a brake and as a support for the actuating-lever.

2. In combination with a wheel or hub F, a band or strap Gpassing about the same; a bracket orsu pport H; a rod I extending downward from said support in the general direction of rotation of the wheel or hub; a clip or connection uniting the brake band or strap and said rod; and a lever having one extremity attached to one end of the strap or band, and pivoted at another point in its length to the other end of said strap or hand, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with wheel or hub F, flexible strap or band G passing about the same; a stationary bracket or support I-I; rod I and arm J extending downward from said bracket; clip a connecting the strap or band with the rod I; loop I) forming a loose connection between the'strap or band G and the arm J; and lever L pin-jointed or pivotally connected to the ends of the strap or band G by pins or bolts, 0, d.

4. The herein-described brake for vehicles, comprising a hub or Wheel F; a band or strap G passing about said wheel; supports H, I, J, for said band; a lever L connected with the ends of said band by pins or bolts 0, d; a second lever M; and a rod N connecting the levers L and M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. GREUTER.

Witnesses:

ANDREW H. MATHESON, ARTHUR E. PHELON. 

